VG-10

The Japanese standard. Takes a very keen edge quickly; loses it sooner than the powder steels.

Typical hardness

59-61 HRC

Edge retention

2/5

Toughness

3/5

Corrosion resistance

4/5

Ease of sharpening

4/5

1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other.